Geophysical phenomena
Cyclone Gulab

Relevance IN - Prelims (all about cyclone and its naming + Mains GS I Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.)

What's the NEWS

• A cyclone warning was issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for parts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
• It also predicted that a developing low-pressure system in north Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring south Odisha will intensify into a cyclone
• Cyclone Gulab will be the second cyclonic storm to hit Odisha in four months
• Four months back Cyclone Yaas left a trail of destruction across Odisha and West Bengal
• As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone storm is expected to make landfall between Odisha's Gopalpur and Andhra Pradesh's Kalingapatanam.

Know! all about Cyclone 'Gulab'

• It was named by Pakistan.
• According to an official notification by the IMD, it has to be pronounced as "Gul-Aab"
• The name Gulab is from the list of cyclone names that is maintained by the World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (WMO/ESCAP) Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC).
• The panel comprises 13 countries namely, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Maldives, Oman, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, who choose the names of cyclones in the region.

The Indian Meteorological Department classifies Cyclones based on their wind speeds.

• When the wind speed is around 31-50 km/hr, it is called depression.
• When the wind speed is between 51-62 km/hr, it is called Deep Depression.
• Beyond these speeds, the depression becomes storm.

The wind speeds of different storms as follows

• Cyclonic Storm: 63-88 km/hr
• Severe Cyclonic Storm: 89-117 km/hr
• Very Severe Cyclonic Storm: 118-165 km/hr
• Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm: 166-220 km/hr
• Super cyclonic Storm: greater than 220 km/hr

Why Is The Bay of Bengal So Prone To Cyclones?

• Tropical cyclones-also called typhoons or hurricanes-are intense water-rotating systems formed by strong winds (of speeds at least 62 kilometres/hour) around low-pressure areas.
• They have a spiral, anticlockwise movement. Additional weather conditions like high sea surface temperature, vertical changes in wind speed inside the spiral, and high relative humidity help cyclones form and intensify.
• Since sea surface temperatures and humidity both directly correlate with chances of cyclone formation, the Bay of Bengal is a more likely target because it gets higher rainfall, and because the sluggish winds around it keep temperatures relatively high: about 28 degrees around the year.
• Warm air currents enhance this surface temperature and aid the formation of cyclones.
• In addition, the Bay receives higher rainfall and constant inflow of fresh water from the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.
• This means that the Bay's surface water keeps getting refreshed, making it impossible for the warm water to mix with the cooler water below, making it ideal for a depression.
• On the other hand, the Arabian Sea receives stronger winds that help dissipate the heat, and the lack of constant fresh water supply helps the warm water mix with the cool water, reducing the temperature.

How tropical cyclones are named

• The practice of naming these tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea began in September 2004. Before that the names were given arbitrarily
• In 2000, a group of nations called WMO/ESCAP (World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), which comprised Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, decided to start naming cyclones in the region.
• After each country sent in suggestions, the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) finalised the list
• With as many as eight countries, the group finalised 64 names, with each country pitching eight names
• Amphan, the cyclone that hit India in May 2020 was the last name on the list developed in 2004.
• The WMO/ESCAP expanded to include five more countries in 2018-Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen and the list expanded.
• With 13 countries pitching 13 suggestions each, the list has 169 names of cyclones.
• The list of 169 cyclone names released by IMD in April 2020, were provided by these countries - 13 suggestions from each of the 13 countries.
• Cyclone Tauktae, which hit the Gujarat coast in May this year was taken from this list and was suggested by Myanmar.
• The new list included the last name from the previous list (Amphan) as it remained unused at the time of release.

The role of RSMCs and TCWCs

• Cyclones that form in every ocean basin across the world are named by the

1. Regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and
2. Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs).

• There are six RSMCs in the world, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and five TCWCs.
• As an RSMC, the IMD names the cyclones developing over the north Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, after following a standard procedure.
• The IMD is also mandated to issue advisories to 12 other countries in the region on the development of cyclones and storms.

Naming of Tropical Cyclones (T.C) helps the scientific community, disaster managers, media and general masses to

• identify each individual cyclone.
• create awareness of its development.
• remove confusion in case of simultaneous occurrence of TCs over a region
• remember a TC easily
• rapidly and effectively disseminate warnings to much wider audience

Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre

• Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.
• RSMC, New Delhi (one of the 6 RSMC's) will be responsible to name tropical cyclones forming over the North Indian Ocean including Bay of Bengal & the Arabian Sea when they have been diagnosed with maximum sustained surface windspeed of 34 knots (62 kmph) or more as per Global Data Processing and Forecasting System (GDPFS) of WMO
• The name of a Tropical Cyclone from South China Sea which crosses Thailand and emerge into the Bay of Bengal as a tropical cyclone will not be changed.

Know! about WMO

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 193 Member States and Territories.
• It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO),
• Established by the ratification of the WMO Convention on 23 March 1950, WMO became the specialised agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences a year later.
• The Secretariat, headquartered in Geneva, is headed by the Secretary-General.
• Its supreme body is the World Meteorological Congress.

Know! about India Meteorological Department (IMD)

• IMD was established in 1875. It is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
• It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology.

Health
PM to launch Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission) + Mains ( GS II Health)
What's the NEWS

• Prime Minister will launch the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission on 27th September 2021
• The pilot project of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission had been announced by the Prime Minister from the ramparts of Red Fort on 15th August, 2020.
• Currently, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is being implemented in pilot phase in six Union Territories.
• The nation-wide rollout of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission coincides with NHA celebrating the third anniversary of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).

Know! about Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

• The Mission is based on the foundations laid down in the form of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile (JAM) trinity and other digital initiatives of the government
• It will create a seamless online platform through the provision of a wide-range of data, information and infrastructure services, duly leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital systems while ensuring the security, confidentiality and privacy of health-related personal information.
• The Mission will enable access and exchange of longitudinal health records of citizens with their consent.
• The key components of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission include a health ID for every citizen that will also work as their health account, to which personal health records can be linked and viewed with the help of a mobile application
• A Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) and Healthcare Facilities Registries (HFR) that will act as a repository of all healthcare providers across both modern and traditional systems of medicine.
• This will ensure ease of doing business for doctors/hospitals and healthcare service providers.
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission Sandbox, created as a part of the Mission, will act as a framework for technology and product testing that will help organizations, including private players, intending to be a part of National Digital Health Ecosystem become a Health Information Provider or Health Information User or efficiently link with building blocks of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
• This Mission will create interoperability within the digital health ecosystem, similar to the role played by the Unified Payments Interface in revolutionizing payments. Citizens will only be a click-away from accessing healthcare facilities.

Prelims Factoids
NIDHI 2.0 & India Tourism Statistics
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about NIDHI 2.0 and World Tourism Day )
What's the NEWS

• The Ministry of Tourism is organizing an event to celebrate "World Tourism Day 2021" on 27th September 2021 which has been designated by the UNWTO as a day to focus on "Tourism for Inclusive Growth".
• NIDHI 2.0 (National Integrated Database of Hospitality Industry) and ‘India Tourism Statistics - At a Glance, 2021' will be launched.
• Celebrated every September 27 around the world, the purpose of World Tourism Day (WTD) is to foster awareness among the international community on the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will also be signed between Ministry of Tourism, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and The Responsible Tourism Society of India (RTSOI)to actively promote and support ‘sustainability initiatives' in the tourism sector of each other .

Know! about National Integrated Database of Hospitality Industry(NIDHI)

• Ministry: NIDHI scheme was launched by the Ministry of Tourism
• Aim: To provide a comprehensive register of hospitality accommodation across the country was essential for the future development of tourism of India
• NIDHI is an initiative towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat to use technology to empower our businesses. NIDHI is not just a Database.
• It aspires to become a gateway to opportunities for the Hospitality Industry.
• Registration with NIDHI will ensure electronic delivery of various services and benefits to the hospitality unit.
• It will also serve as a platform for the Hospitality organisations to ideate, share best practices and connect with the Government for ease of doing business.
• Accommodation units have to be registered on NIDHI and verified by respective nodal officer before taking self-certification on SAATHI platform
• Units who have registered on NIDHI and been verified by their respective nodal officer can then get self-certification on the Ministry's SAATHI (System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for Hospitality Industry) platform on their Covid-free status.
• It is a digital platform which is accessible from https://nidhi.nic.in where all accommodation units can register themselves to become part of the hospitality industry.
• Registration with NIDHI will ensure electronic delivery of various services and benefits to the hospitality units.

Know! about SAATHI (System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for Hospitality Industry)

• SAATHI is an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism with Quality Council of India to assist the hospitality industry to continue to operate safely and thereby instill confidence among the Staff, employees and the guests about the safety of the hotel/unit

Other Schemes with similar Name
Sophisticated Analytical & Technical Help Institutes (SATHI).

• The Department of Science & Technology has launched a unique scheme called Sophisticated Analytical & Technical Help Institutes (SATHI).
• The DST has already set up 3 such centres in the country, one each at IIT Kharagpur, IIT Delhi and BHU.
• It is planned to set up 5 SATHI Centres every year for the next four years.
• These Centres have major analytical instruments and advanced manufacturing facilities to provide common services of high-end analytical testing, thus avoiding duplication and reduced dependency on foreign sources.

SAATHI (Sustainable and Accelerated Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to Help Small Industries) Initiative

• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Textiles.
• Objective: To sustain and accelerate the adoption of energy efficient textile technologies in the powerloom sector and cost savings due to use of such technology.

SATH (Sustainable Action for Transforming Human capital) Program

• It is a program of NITI Aayog.
• Objective: To initiate transformation in the education and health sectors and build 3 future ‘role model' states.
• The program addresses the need expressed by many states for technical support.

World Tourism Day ( 27 September 2021)

• World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has designated World Tourism Day 2021 as a day to focus on "Tourism for Inclusive Growth."
• UNWTO as the United Nations specialized agency for responsible and sustainable tourism, is guiding the global sector towards inclusive recovery and growth.
• UNWTO ensures every part of the sector has a say in its future - including communities, minorities, youth and those who would otherwise be at risk of being left behind.

• Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day as international observances on September 27.
• This date was chosen as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted.
• The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism.
• The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.

Prelims Factoids
Hamboting La
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Hamboting La - location)
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting dedicated to the nation High Power Transmitters of Doordarshan and All India Radio at Hamboting La near Kargil in Ladakh .
• The 10 KW transmitters are the highest altitude TV and Radio transmitters in the country, located at the height of 4054 metres (about 13,300 ft) above the mean sea level. The transmitters at Leh are at the altitude of 3501 metres (about 11,450 ft).
• Hamboting La site is one of the most difficult locations considering the hostile weather conditions and geographical terrain.

International Organisations
Summit for Information and Democracy

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about International Partnership for Information and Democracy+ role of infodemic initiative)
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting addressed the Summit for Information and Democracy on the sidelines of the UNGA organised at the Consulate General of France, New York

Summit Highlights

• The General Assembly has proclaimed this year, by consensus, October 24-31 as ‘Global Media and information Literacy week' to address concerns about the exponential spread and proliferation of disinformation and misinformation through imparting media literacy skills.
• India was among the core group of countries which piloted this resolution.
• India was also among the co-authors of a first of its kind Cross-Regional Statement on "Infodemic" in the Context of COVID-19.
• India has also actively supported the UN Department of Global Communication's "Verified" and "Pledge To Pause" initiatives.

The International Partnership for Information and Democracy

• It was launched in New York on 26 September 2019, in the framework of the Alliance for Multilateralism.
• It has been signed to date by 43 States, and aims to promote freedom of opinion and expression and access to free, pluralistic and reliable information.
• In order to implement the Partnership's principles, a Forum on Information and Democracy was created on 10 November 2019 by Reporters Without Borders and 10 independent civil society organizations.
• On 12 November 2020, the Forum published its first report on the fight against infodemics, followed on 16 June 2021 by its second report on the economic sustainability of journalism (entitled A New Deal for Journalism).

Infodemic ( Connect the dots - 20 June 2020)

• An infodemic is too much information including false or misleading information in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak.
• India, along with 12 other countries, has led an initiative aimed at spreading fact-based content to counter misinformation on the coronavirus, with over 130 nations endorsing the global call to fight the "infodemic" relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• On the initiative by Australia, Chile, France, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Lebanon, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Senegal and South Africa, a total of 132 member states endorsed a cross-regional statement on "infodemic" or manipulated information.
• India supported the UN Communications Response initiative ‘#VERIFIED' and "calls for global action to fight infodemic in times of Covid-19."
• The United Nations launched ‘Verified', an initiative to combat the growing scourge of Covid-19 misinformation by increasing the volume and reach of trusted, accurate information.

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